1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a method and device for controlling slave devices with a master device and, more particularly, to a method and device for controlling operations of slave devices with a master device, providing a predetermined user interface (UI) so as to allow a user to control any concerned slave device through the master device connected to the concerned slave device through a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally in order to control plural slave devices connected to a master device, slave devices 11, 12 and 13 and a master device 20 in connection with the slave devices 11, 12 and 13 are controlled by means of separate remote controls thereto 31, 32, 33 and 34 as illustrated in FIG. 1.
However, when separate remote controls are used to separately control the slave devices 11, 12 and 13 and the master device 20, the user needs to have basic knowledge about the separate remote controls, such as how to use them. This makes the use of separate remote controls inconvenient.
To solve such an inconvenience, the slave devices 41, 42 and 43 and a master device 50 in connection with the slave devices 41, 42 and 43 may be controlled by means of a universal remote control 60. The use of the universal remote control 60 allows the user to switch a mode of the universal remote control 60 and set up the mode adaptively to a device that the user desires to control, as illustrated in FIG. 2.
Use of a universal remote control 60 is advantageous in that slave devices 41, 42 and 43 and a master device 50 can be controlled through a single remote control. However, the user has to switch a mode of the universal remote control 60 and set up and adapt the mode to any concerned device in order to control the concerned device. This makes it inconvenient to use the universal remote control.